1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to semiconductor fabrication and, more particularly, to preventing oxidation of substrate surfaces in a process chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor device fabrication is a complex process. Electronic devices are typically formed on a semiconductor substrate, and often include conductive elements separated by insulating elements. Conductive elements may serve as, e.g., electrodes and interconnecting conductors.
As an example, various electronic devices, such as transistor devices, exist in the modern day fabrication of integrated circuits, with metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) being a common transistor device. Generally, a MOSFET includes a conductive gate electrode formed over a gate dielectric, which in turn overlies a semiconductor substrate that can be single-crystal silicon. For reliable performance in electronic devices, such as a MOSFET, it is desirable to maintain the conductivity of the conductive parts, such as a gate electrode, which may be composed of such conductive materials as metals or metal nitrides. Similar considerations apply for other materials relied upon for their conductivity.
Accordingly, there is continuing need for processes that provide conductive materials having high conductivity or low resistivity.